Brake Apparatus For The Cart With Three or More Wheels Such as Golf Bag Carts, Baby Strollers And The Like

ABSTRACT

This invention is to provide a brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like, comprising: a hand brake control assembly, fixed on the cart frame, having a body and a lug in pinned connection with the body. Break activation can be done through a pull on the lug. On the other hand, brake release is achieved by pressing springy pushbuttons on both sides of the lug to escape the clipping pin from the indent; a brake pole set, fixed on a rear wheel axle tube, capable of offering a buffer mechanism, which avoids potential destruction to the wheel; and a brake wire, enabling an easy operation and achieving an automatic lock during the braking, which substantially prevents the lapse of releasing the brake by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like, and more particularly to one featuring handiness for the operating, where a brake lug is a safety measures designed for the automatic lock of the brake which substantially prevents a lapse of releasing the brake by a user, and a brake pole set is capable of offering a buffer mechanism, which avoids potential destruction to the wheel.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Brake apparatus of the prior baby strollers is roughly shown in FIGS. 1 & 2, where the axle tube 11 is provided with a brake pedal 12 on its middle portion. By means of the tilts at both sides of the brake pedal 12 to push a brake pole 13 outward to penetrate through a hollow 15 of the wheel 14, the stroller brakes to a stop. And the return of the brake pole 13 is subject to the resilient force of a springy member 16. However, the brake pedal 12 is located at the bottom of the stroller, where the visual sight is always hindered, gravely deteriorating the operation and easily being touched by the foot. Moreover, once the brake pole 13 is not aligned to the hollow 15 of the wheel 14, the stroller can't brake to a stop. At this moment, if the user still steps on the brake pedal 12 with great strength, the brake pedal 12 or the wheel 14 is easily being destructed. And these shortcomings absolutely deserve to be improved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is therefore to provide a brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like that features handiness for the operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like, where a brake lug is a safety measures designed for the automatic lock of the brake which substantially prevents a lapse of releasing the brake by a user.

A further object of this invention is to provide a brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like, where a brake pole set is capable of offering a buffer mechanism, which avoids potential destruction to the wheel.

To accomplish the aforesaid objects, this invention is therefore to provide a brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like, which comprises: a hand brake control assembly, fixed on the cart frame, having a body and a lug in pinned connection with thereon, where the body is set up with an indent at its upper inner side, the lug is provided with a springy pushbutton at each of its two laterals, and the pushbutton joins a threaded element at its bottom, where the threaded element joins a clipping pin at its one end, and the clipping pin and the indent are clipped to each other automatically through a pull on the lug, and the brake is released by pressing the springy pushbuttons on both sides of the lug, which makes the clipping pin to release from the indent; a brake pole set, fixed on a rear wheel axle tube, having a binder which is provided with a tie mount in its interior, and the tie mount is provided with a slider and has a linking pole at each of its two ends, where the linking poles each joins a brake pole at the other end, and the brake pole is set up in the interior of a base and a brake spring is put around the brake pole; and a brake wire, having its one end to penetrate the body and to join fixedly with the lug, and the other end to penetrate the binder and the slider and to join fixedly with the tie mount. Accordingly, this enables an easy operation and accomplishes an automatic lock of the brake, which substantially prevents a lapse of releasing the brake by a user.

This invention is provided with a buffer mechanism set up at the brake pole set, comprising: two buffer tins, set up at the other end of the linking pole and located in the base; two brake poles, set up in both the buffer tin and the base, having a protruded part in its middle for the separation purpose, where the end of the brake pole next to the protruded part is lodged in the buffer tin and is put around by a buffer spring, and a buffer space is kept with the buffer spring in the buffer tin, while the other end beside the protruded part is lodged in the base and is put around by a spacer and a brake spring; which avoids destruction to the wheel by the brake pole during the incomplete operation of the brake.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the brake apparatus of a prior baby stroller;

FIG. 2 is an assembled sectional view of the brake apparatus of a prior baby stroller;

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of this invention mounted on a baby stroller;

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of the hand brake control assembly of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the hand brake control assembly of this invention;

FIG. 6 is an assembled sectional view of the hand brake control assembly of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional view of the brake pole set of this invention;

FIG. 8 is a three-dimensional exploded view of the brake pole set of this invention;

FIG. 9 is an assembled sectional view of the brake pole set of this invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the motion of the hand brake control assembly during the braking of this invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view (I) of the hand brake control assembly during the braking of this invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view (II) of the hand brake control assembly during the braking of this invention;

FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view of the brake pole set during the braking of this invention;

FIG. 14 is a schematic sectional view of the buffer mechanism during the braking of this invention; and

FIG. 15 is a three-dimensional view of this invention mounted on a golf bag cart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The structural trait and its function of this invention is detailed described with reference to the following two preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, which would give the honorable Examiner a thorough comprehension. Referring to FIGS. 3˜9, this invention comprises: a hand brake control assembly 2 fixed on the cart frame 3, a brake pole set 4 fixed on the rear wheel axle tube 30, and a brake wire 5 connects the hand brake control assembly 2 and the rake pole set 4, wherein:

The hand brake control assembly 2 is shown in FIGS. 4˜6, comprising: a body 20, fixed on the cart frame 3, having a flag plug 21 at each of the top of its two sides, where the flag plug 21 has a tilted arc at the top of its outer side, and having an indent 22 at each of the top of its two inner sides, and the body 20 is provided with a through hole 23 at its bottom, for the penetration by the brake wire 5; a brake lug 24, set up in the body 20, having a camshaft 25 at each of the top of its two sides, which is in pinned connection with the corresponding flat plug 21, and the camshaft 25 is provided with a fixing hole 26 below it, for the fixing of one end of the brake wire 5; two springy pushbuttons 27, set up at both sides of the bottom of the lug 24, join a threaded element 28 at their bottoms, where the threaded element 28 is set up in the bottom of the lug 24 with a spring 29 put around it, which empowers the pushbuttons 27 to have a downward force; a clipping pin 31, set up in the top portion of the lug 24, is in threaded joining, at its middle, with the threaded element 28 which follows the move of the pushbutton 27; and an adjustable screw 32, set up in the through hole 23 at the bottom of the body 20, for the penetration by the brake wire 5, and for the adjustment of the tightness of the brake wire 5.

The brake pole set 4 is shown in FIGS. 7˜9, comprising: a binder 40, fixed in the middle of the rear wheel axle tube 30, having a cover 41 at its one end; a tie mount 42, L in shape, set up in the binder 40, having a long trough 421 on its surface; a slider 43, set up on the long trough 421 of the tie mount 42, for the penetration by the other end of the brake wire 5 through the cover 41 and the slider 43, followed by a fixing to the vertical part of the tie mount 42, to position the slider 43 in between the vertical part of the tie mount 42 and the binder 40; an extending pole 44, having its one end to penetrate the tie mount 42 for a fixing, and the other end to penetrate a continuing tube 45 for a fixing, where the continuing tube 45 is fixed in one end of the interior of the tie mount 42; two linking poles 46, set up at both sides of the tie mounts 42; two buffer tins 47, shaping a ladder tube, set up in the other end of the linking pole 46, and is located in a L-shape base 48, where the L-shape base 48 joins the cart frame at its vertical end, shown in FIG. 3; two brake poles 49, set up in the buffer tin 47 and the base 48, having a protruded part 491 in its middle for the separation purpose, where the end of the brake pole 49 next to the protruded part 491 (the end next to the linking pole 46) is lodged in the buffer tin 47 and put around by a buffer spring 51, and a buffer space 471 is kept in the buffer tin 47, while the other end is lodged in the base 48 and put around by a spacer 52 and a brake spring 53; the aforementioned buffer tin 47, brake pole 49 and buffer spring 51 constitute a buffer mechanism, where the elasticity of the buffer spring 51 is less than that of the brake spring 53.

The brake wire 5, a steel rope, has its one end to penetrate the body 20 and to join fixedly to the lug 24, and the other end to penetrate the binder 40 and the slider 43 and to join fixedly to the tie mount 42.

According to the aforesaid structural combination, this invention is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 & 9 in an integral form, where the brake lug 24 is pressed down to stick to the lower part of the body 20, and the spring 29 is in the stretched state. And the brake pole 49 is lodged in the base 48. The brake spring 53 and the buffer spring 51 are also in the stretched state, where a buffer space 471 is kept with the brake pole 49 and the buffer spring 51 in the buffer tin 47. Once intending a brake, a lift is on the lug 24, which is by means of the tilt design for the outer sides of the body 20, the lug 24 with the clipping pin 31 is pushed upward until a straight line is formed by the lug 24 and the body 20, shown in FIGS. 10˜12; meanwhile, the brake wire 5 is drawn to move the tie mount 42 and the slider 43 toward the middle, and as the buffer tin 47 and the brake pole 49 are pushed to move outward by the linking pole 46, the brake pole 49 is being protruded from the base 48, shown in FIG. 13, for the penetration into a hollow of the rear wheel 35 to halt the rotation of the rear wheel 35, which results in braking to a stop. At this moment, the brake spring 53 is in a compressed state, while the buffer spring 51 is in a stretched state, and the buffer space 471 still exists there; once the brake lug 24 is pulled upward to its full extent and released, the clipping pin 31 moves down by means of the resilient force of the spring 29 and is clipped by the indent 22 of the body 20, shown in FIGS. 11 & 12, to achieve the automatic lock of the brake, which substantially prevents a lapse of releasing the brake by the user.

During braking a cart, a buffer mechanism is activated automatically if the brake pole 49 is not aligned with the hollow of the rear wheel 35, which means that the brake pole 49 moves toward the buffer space 471 of the buffer tin 47 to compress the buffer spring 51 that the brake pole 49 is still in the base 48, shown in FIG. 14, once the rear wheel 35 is rotated to align brake pole 49 with its hollow, the hollow is penetrated by the protruded brake pole 49 through the resilient force of the two springs 51, 53, which therefore accomplishes the brake, shown in FIG. 9, and avoids destruction to the wheel 35 by the brake pole 49.

Accordingly, this invention has at least the following advantages and functions, which are much more creative than the prior:

-   1. The hand brake control assembly 2 is mounted on the cart frame 3,     featuring a great visual sight and easy for operating. -   2. The hand brake control assembly 2 is provided with a safety     design for the automatic lock, which substantially prevents a lapse     of releasing the brake by the user. -   3. The brake pole set 4 is provided with a buffer mechanism, which     avoids the destruction to the wheel 35 by the brake pole 49 during     the incomplete operation of the brake.

Referring to FIG. 15, a hand brake control assembly 2′, a brake pole set 4′ and a brake wire 5′ of the brake apparatus of this invention is available to mount on a golf bag cart, to achieve the same function with the aforementioned exemplary embodiment. And this is the other exemplary embodiment of this invention.

To sum up, the disclosed structures of the exemplary embodiments of this invention are absolutely novel to the prior art. It surely can accomplish the expected objective and function, which is construed as not only novelty and creativeness but usefulness. And a utility application is then filed according to the patent law. 

1. A brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like, comprising: a hand brake control assembly, joined fixedly on the cart frame, having a body and a lug connected pivotally thereon, where the body is set up with an indent at its upper inner side, and the lug being provided with a springy pushbutton at each of its two laterals, where the pushbutton joins a threaded element at its bottom, and the threaded element joining a clipping pin at its one end, through a pull on the lug, the clipping pin and the indent being locked automatically, on the other hand, brake release being achieved by pressing the springy pushbuttons on both sides of the lug to escape the clipping pin from the indent; a brake pole set, fixed on a rear wheel axle tube, having a binder which is provided with a tie mount in its interior, where the tie mount is provided with a slider, and the tie mount having a linking pole at each of its two ends, where the linking poles each joins a brake pole at the other end, and the brake pole being set up in a base and a brake spring being put around thereon; and a brake wire, having its one end to penetrate the body and to join fixed with the lug, and the other end to penetrate the binder and the slider and to join fixedly with the tie mount.
 2. A brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag carts, baby strollers and the like as in claim 1 wherein the linking pole joins a buffer tin set up in the base at the other end, and the brake pole having a protruded part at its middle for the separation purpose, where the end located beside the protruded part and lodged in the buffer tin is put around by a buffer spring and keeps a buffer space in the buffer tin, and the other end located beside the protruded part and lodged in the base being put around by a spacer and a brake spring.
 3. A brake apparatus for the cart with three or more wheels such as golf bag cart, baby stroller and the like as in claim 1 wherein the brake wire is a brake steel rope. 